Maybe Not As She Seems
by Chiron's Arrow
Summary: Darcy Lewis wants her iPod back. And she has a good idea how to go about it.  Written for my Shuffle30 challenge. Prompt "She Wolf" by Shakira


**Disclaimer:**Not mine.

**Summary:** Darcy Lewis wants her iPod back. And she has a good idea how to go about it. Written for my Shuffle30 challenge. Prompt _She Wolf _by Shakira

The brown haired girl sighed as she looked at the man across from her. What was it with the sudden uptick in the Hotty McBodies in her life? Thor, Stark, this guy… and why were none of them hers? Well, at least she might be able to get something out of this one. She fixed him with her best hangdog expression. "Please," she wheedled "I need it back."

"So, go buy a new one if it is that important to you," replied the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent leaning against the counter in the kitchenette.

Darcy rolled her eyes at the smug asshole across from her. She had made him coffee and everything; and this was the help she was getting? "I'm a college student – I'm not made of money."

He shrugged "Have mommy or daddy get it for you, princess."

Darcy was suddenly coldly furious "Do. Not. Go. There" she gritted out. The agent, Carlton, or something like that, froze. She put her coffee down, quite carefully, as she didn't imagine for a minute that throwing it at him would be any kind of a good idea. "Every course, every minute of my college career has been paid for by me. Myself. I work, every moment I can get, to have enough money to keep going the next semester. Even here, in this ass end of nowhere little town I work weekends at the diner – which is now destroyed, thank you very much, Loki – to earn enough money to live." A few tears pooled in her eyes. "My personal computer is a 12 year old powerbook which is held together with duct tape and pleas to whatever god will hear me. That iPod is everything I own."

"Everything is on it, my music, my contacts, my school assignments, bank information, my bartenders bible, pictures of my mom, everything." Her voice rose during the course of her exposition as she became more upset.

"I can't replace it, now. Maybe next year, after I graduate if I can manage to find a job in this craptacular economy. But right now. No way. This is an unpaid internship for college credit. That unpaid part – means I'm not making any money this summer. Zip! Nada! Zero!" She burst into tears as she finished.

"Sorry," sniffled Darcy "I didn't mean to go all ballistic on you. I know it's not your fault."

The agent, probably actually a good guy considering how disturbed he looked by her breakdown sidled over to her cautiously and patted her shoulder. "Shh" He murmured uncomfortably, continuing to pat her like he was afraid she'd explode. "I'm sure it will all be okay. Just give it some time."

Darcy turned towards him and gave him a very drippy hug "Its just… its all too much sometime: secret government agencies, Gods, astrophysics, and I graduate in a month!" She stepped back and brushed awkwardly at his shirt "Oh, no! I've dripped all over you." There was a brief, uncomfortable silence that Darcy let settle around them.

"Here," she said with a slight hiccup, "let me refill that for you." She grabbed the coffee pot out of the machine and topped off the coffee in his mug. He took that as an opportunity to flee, stepping away from her and crossing the open area of their workroom quickly.

He paused by the front doors, "Darcy?"

"Yes?" she said, allowing a slight waver to creep into her voice.

"I'll see what I can do. Just, ya know? Hang in there, it will get better."

_Oh my God_, Darcy thought to herself,_ did_ _he get that off a greeting card? One of the ones with the cute little kitten hanging off of a branch?_ She rolled her eyes and pulled a pudding cup out of the 'fridge.

Are you done" asked Jane dryly as she walked in, empty coffee cup in hand.

"What? Oh, yes" responded Darcy tearily.

Jane snorted as she refilled her cup, peering in dismay at how little there was left. "I'll make more" said Darcy. She turned to the coffee maker, setting it up for another pot. They certainly were going through a lot more coffee now that there were all these spooks running about. Jane rummaged in the cupboard behind her, probably searching for non-existent pop-tarts.

Darcy turned and saw Jane regarding her assessingly "That was…dramatic" she commented simply as she examined the labeling on a mashed granola bar. Apparently the healthy ingredients to chemicals ratio was good enough for her and she ripped open the package and started munching.

Darcy scoffed, "He was easy," and she made a little moue of distaste "I didn't even get to the part where I've been eating little more than ramen and multivitamins for months. I could have probably gotten dinner out of that"

Jane snorted, spraying crumbs across the kitchen floor. "Come on," she said a note of laugher in her voice "lets get back to work, Mata Hari."

Coulson sat back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. He thumbed the intercom on the desk in front of him. "Stillwell," he said into the open channel "I need to see Darcy Lewis' iPod."

"Screw the iPod, Coulson," remarked the Consultant sitting across from him "I want to see that Powerbook."


End file.
